ARTICLE 1: NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Pastoral Council of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux Parish.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

A. The purpose of the Pastoral Council is to promote community, to be a sign and witness of unity and to assist the pastor in pastoral planning. It is usually a group of nine to twelve parishioners who consult with the pastor by reason of their knowledge, competence, and/or interest in the parish. B. It is a consultative body to the pastor, coordinating and unifying structure of the Roman Catholic community. The council is the means of achieving the full participation of all parishioners in the parish in its mission by giving all a voice in supporting, guiding, and directing the various aspects of parish life. C. The council’s members gather together in visions, hopes, and needs of the parish, reflecting upon them until a consensus is reached, and translates this consensus into parish planning through the establishment of goals and objectives. The council sees that these goals and objectives are implemented annually by the commissions and committees and are evaluated and amended annually by the parish council. D. All parts of the Pastoral Council Constitution must be consistent with the latest copy of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Policies and Norms.

ARTICLE III: ORGANIZATION

A. The Pastor of Administrator is the president of the Parish Council. Priests and deacons assigned to the Parish are ex officio members. Other members are appointed by the pastor / administrator from the group presented to him for nomination from the council itself or from the Parish at large. Members are never elected by the Parish. B. The Parish Business Coordinator (PBC) or other staff person designated in the absence of a PBC is staff for the council – not a member. Other paid staff of the parish are not members of the council and generally do not attend meetings unless invited for their particular expertise. Immediate family members of paid staff are not eligible for membership.

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP

A. A balanced representation of men and women of various ages and geographic areas shall be members.

B. The characteristics of a member often include one who: 1) Is a good listener 2) realizes the purposes for which the council exists and recognizes one's role 3) has a positive attitude 4) is a visionary following the example of Jesus Christ 5) is open to study and reflection 6) prepares oneself before meetings 7) knows how to focus on issues 8) communicates and has an ability to articulate accurately what one has heard

ARTICLE V: TERMS

A. Council members are limited to two successive three-year terms. Upon completion of two terms, members must go off the council for a full year before being considered for membership again. Terms should be staggered to allow for consistency and continuity. B. The council goes out of existence upon the transfer, retirement, resignation, or death of the pastor/administrator. A new pastor/administrator must constitute a new council as soon as possible by at least within one year of taking office. C. When there is a new council, initial terms of new members will be determined by lottery.

ARTICLE VI: OFFICERS

A. Council members should designate, with the approval of the pastor/administrator, a member to serve as chair, another as vice-chair, and a third to serve as secretary. Terms for these positions are at least for one year and renewable. In no instance is the PBC to act as chair of the council. B. The chair shall be the principal elected officer of the council and preside at all meetings of the council. He/she shall prepare an agenda with sufficient detail for each council meeting. Each agenda shall be submitted to the pastor/administrator for his approval. Each council member must receive the agenda at least one week prior to the council meeting. C. The vice-chair shall work with and cooperate with the Chair in the exercise of the powers and duties of the Chair and as the Chair may request from time to time. In the event of the chair’s disability or absence, the vice-chair shall perform the duties of the chair. D. The secretary shall record the minutes of each council meeting. The chair shall appoint a secretary pro-tem to record the minutes of a meeting, in the absence of the secretary. The minutes of meetings shall be sent to each council member within two weeks of each meeting. The minutes should be incorporated into the next meeting’s agenda for review and approval.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

A. The council meets in regular session at least four times a year. B. While most meetings are open to all parishioners there can be times when the pastor/administrator may need to call for an executive session. C. Meetings are called by the pastor/administrator. D. The agenda is prepared by the council chair and approved by the pastor/administrator. E. The council is not to meet in the absence of the pastor/administrator. Although in an emergency he can designate one of the priests or deacons to serve as his delegate. F. The pastor/administrator may call one or more work sessions in addition to the regular meetings that may take place in his absence. G. The council discusses any and all temporal matters relating to the life of the people in the cluster. It does not discuss matters pertaining to individuals.

ARTICLE VIII: COMMITTEES

A. There may be committees or commissions of the council, typically these committees or commissions may include: 1. Faith Formation 2. Worship and Spirituality 3. Family Life 4. Social Justice and Peace 5. Church Life B. Reports of these committees/commissions should not form the greater part of the agenda of council meetings.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS

1. Any Pastoral Council member may propose an amendment to the Pastoral Council constitution by submitting a draft of the proposed amendment to the priest/coordinator prior to the scheduled meeting at which it will be discussed. 2. The constitution may be amended at any Pastoral Board meeting by a two-thirds vote of all the coordinators as long as the proposed change was discussed at the preceding meeting and also communicated in writing to all Board members two weeks prior to the meeting at which the vote will take place.